But one former Rubio aide explained the endorsement as a political calculation on the part of the then-Florida House Speaker. At the time, Rubio was on his way out of the speakership, and he was looking to have a greater presence on the national scene. He would get more of a return with Huckabee, more so than with Fred Thompson or Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney or John McCain.

“That was an endorsement really where they had nothing to lose, especially Marco,” the aide told The Daily Beast. “ It was more of an introductory move to get his foot in the door. Back then Marco was really pitching his conservative values, and it mirrored where Huckabee was… It just elevated him a little bit, elevated himself on the national scene. If Huckabee had legs, [Rubio] would have had a pretty big presence.”

Perhaps Rubio also saw a version of himself in Huckabee, who also grew up in poverty. Rubio praised Huckabee in January 2008 as “a guy who is one-generation removed from dirt floors and outdoor plumbing.”